Ephesians 4:1-2 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
Recently, I had the opportunity to intervene on behalf of my daughter and son-in-law ~~ in a matter between them and a business person who had promised to provide services for their wedding day. The way I became involved was when my daughter reached out to me in emotional distress. Seeing and hearing her as distraught as she was over this matter, I did what any mother would do ~~ I volunteered to be part of the solution.
Gathering vital information from “my kids” (I’ll refer to the both of them as such for the sake of simplicity), I carefully sifted through all the tears and frustration while sticking to the topic at hand ~~ the services. I questioned both of my kids to make sure I had their side of the story correct. Then I examined the details of the signed contract.
Having worked previously for many years in the Human Resources Management profession, I have some legal knowledge, but I reminded my kids that I would be totally objective in my role. Simply because I know and love them didn’t give them any favoritism. They accepted my position and then arranged for a meeting to settle the matter.
I prayed before, during, and after. I prayed on my one-hour drive to get to their home. I prayed as they drove to the specified location for the meeting. I prayed as they parked the car. I prayed as I waited for the provider-of-services to arrive at the table.
Earlier that morning, the above Scripture verse popped up as my Daily Verse. And that was all I needed to know that God would honor our meeting with His Presence through my obedience to Him by remaining humble and gentle.
Girlfriend, have you ever been in a situation where you just wanted to land a few choice words right between the eyes of a difficult person? Maybe you were just there and the sting is still quiet fresh ~~ maybe like me you’ve been there many times over. I can tell you I’ve wrestled with myself in these challenging moments. And it always seems as if every sermon I ever heard about humility and submission and gentleness all come flooding forward in nano-seconds! Sometimes we are provoked to the point of no return. We see only what we want to see and demand to say what we want to say. But that is so far from God’s command to be humble and gentle.
Look back at the beginning of the passage: lead a life worthy of your calling. Now, that’s pretty clear isn’t it? If we have been called to be disciples of Christ, followers that lead others, our lifestyle MUST reflect that decision. The next few words rivet us to our seats: for you have been called by God. To me, that’s a no-brainer, a “non-negotiable.” Either you’ve been called or you haven’t; after answering that question, you know where you stand (or don’t).
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve not always been successful at taming my mouth or holding back the wrong words. Oh, the regrets that live in my memories over those dreadful moments in the past. But let me also share with you that I’ve been more victorious in the recent past because of an adjustment that I wilfully made in my behavior. Still with me, Girlfriend?
Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Never stop praying.
James 1:5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
These three verses encapsulate my heart’s transformation ~~ I actively followed what each one of them say to do in difficult situations.
- Be still and know that God is Who He is ~~ and in the quietness of my soul I can hear His Voice, and in the stillness of my body I can read His Word. If I’m clamouring and creating havoc with unnecessary noise, He cannot penetrate my mind and heart.
- Prayer is how I commune with God about my situation ~~ I can’t respond in the spirit if I’m not living in the spirit. And so many, MANY times He has melted my heart during prayer to help me pray for the right things.
- Ask for wisdom in all matters. I take nothing for granted because every moment of my life is purposed.
The more I slowed down in the midst of a tough situation and began to pray for wisdom, the better I became at learning to hear God’s Voice in that situation.
Galatians 5:24-25 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Whether or not the difficult person(s) standing in front of us is a Believer, we must remember they were created by God just as we were ~~ and Jesus died for them as He did for us. We must always be mindful to leave a legacy of what Christ looks like to the world around us.
Our greatest sermons are the lives we live.
It is my hope that sharing this has helped you in your struggle to be victorious in the heat of unexpected bad situations. If you have similar ways that God has taught you to lean on Him in your moments of distress, I invite you to share them here with the hopes that another sister might be blessed.
I love you to Heaven and Back, Girlfriend ~~
LindaRJohnson
T2T Visionary
Titus Two 